The invention relates to printing devices and more particularly to ink jet printers using customer replaceable ink supply cartridges having electronic monitoring devices to detect whether competitor supplied cartridges or competitor refilled cartridges containing non-qualified ink have been installed and, if detected, to adjust the printing mode of the printer in order to minimize the effect of non-qualified inks on the printer.
For the convenience of the end users or customers of printers, such as copiers, facsimile machines, and ink jet printers, customer replaceable marking material supply containers, typically referred to as cartridges, are used which may be removed and replaced by the customer when the marking material therein is depleted. The marking material may be xerographic toner or liquid ink, depending upon the type of printer. In one existing printer embodiment, the customer replaceable cartridge contains an integral printhead as well as the ink and the combined cartridge and printhead may be discarded when the ink is depleted. In another type of existing customer replaceable cartridge, only ink is contained therein and the printhead is separately provided. For reciprocating carriage type ink jet printers, the cartridges are readily installed on or removed from the printer carriage by the customer. For full width array ink jet printers, the printhead is fixedly mounted in the printer and extends for the width of a recording medium to accommodate printing across the complete width of the recording medium as it is moved past the printhead. The ink cartridges for full width array printers contain only ink and usually contain larger supplies of ink than the carriage type printer cartridges. For an example of a carriage type ink jet printer with a customer replaceable cartridge refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,425, and for an example of a full width array type ink jet printer refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,945 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,054.
Typically, printers are designed for specially formulated marking material. Thermal ink jet printing devices, as an example, are designed for specifically formulated inks, termed `qualified` inks, and for specific printing modes to control ejected droplet sizes, droplet velocity, material compatibility, particular cleaning and priming techniques, droplet ejection rates, and other functions. Many problems may arise with the printers when specifically qualified inks are replaced with a non-qualified ink by the customers. For example, heating elements may be damaged and fail early, print quality may be lower, and the printheads and/or maintenance stations may be corroded by the non-qualified inks. The printers and printheads are usually provided with a warranty for a particular lifetime, rate of ink consumption, and print quality. Since the use of a non-qualified ink in thermal ink jet printers is highly likely to affect the printer's performance and lifetime in the printer's normal printing mode, printer manufacturers generally discourage use of non-qualified inks and void warranties when they are used. The price of non-qualified inks are usually lower in price than the qualified inks, so customers are tempted to use them at least some of the time, especially when ink-depleted cartridges by the same manufacturer are refilled with the non-qualified ink.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,088 discloses a system for monitoring customer replaceable cartridges in printers or copiers. Each replaceable cartridge includes an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) which is programmed with a cartridge identification number that when matched a cartridge identification number in the printer or copier enables the printer or copier to operate, provides a cartridge replacement warning count, and provides a termination count at which the cartridge is disabled from further use. The EEPROM is programmed to store updated counts of the remaining number of images or prints available by the cartridge after each print or copy is made by the printer or copier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,828 discloses a replaceable unit for use in a copier or printer in which initial use and near-end-of-life is recorded by electrical means, including a portion itself removable from the removable unit, comprising two fuses. A first fuse is blown when a few copies have been made with the replaceable unit, and the second fuse is used to prevent further use of the replaceable unit when a certain number of copies or prints have been made with the replaceable unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,613 discloses a monitoring system for replaceable cartridges in a printer or copier, including an electronic count memory and an electronic flag memory. The count memory maintains a one-by-one count of prints made with the cartridge. The flag memory includes a series of bits which are alterable from a first state to a second state but not alterable from the second state to the first state. The bits in the flag memory are altered at predetermined intervals as prints are made with the cartridge. The flag memory is used as a check to override unauthorized manipulation of the count memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,312 discloses replaceable ink reservoirs, ribbon cassettes, or toner cartridges having an electronic memory means in the form of a chip in which information is stored about the current fill status of the reservoir and other status data that are relevant for printer operation. The used status of the ink or other printing medium is acquired from the controller of the printing machine and is communicated to the chip. The chip on the reservoirs counts consumption until the supply is exhausted to such an extent the reservoir must be replaced. A reprogramming of the chip and refilling of the reservoir is not possible.